Coffee or Tea?
by Aerylith
Summary: Riza Hawkeye was just another high schooler enjoying the popularity she was receiving until her life was turned upside down on one fateful day . RoyxRiza, oneshot. OOC


Disclaimer: As much as I would like to own FullMetal Alchemist, I don't. Too bad eh.

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Riza Hawkeye. She was an excellent sharpshooter, after ten years of hunting with her father. Riza Hawkeye. She was also the prettiest girl at school, and every single guy wanted her to be his girl. Riza Hawkeye, straight 90s in school, a display case filled with trophies, the pet of every teacher, the envy of every student. There was nothing special about this young girl really, besides the fact that she was everyone's dream. Of course, that didn't come easy. Being sporty while excelling in academics was truly hard. Every once in a while this teenager would just go to a small café, order a drink, and comfortably settle down for two hour's worth of reading. It was her idea of relaxing and staying away from the noisy world for just a little while. She liked to order hazelnut coffee – it had been her favourite since specialty coffees came into existence three years ago. Some nutcase had actually taken his time to mix nuts and coffee together, and, as absurd as it sounded, she had to thank this nutcase for mixing her favourite flavour.

Today was just another day at the coffee store that Riza had known all her life. With her book in hand, she stepped into the store and went to the cashier. The manager of the store saw her entering the café and gave her a wide grin.

"Good morning Riza! What would you like today? We've got a new coffee flavour out. Irish Cream! You should really try it, I recommend it very much, it's creamy and delicious!" the manager said, beaming at the sixteen-year-old. Riza gave her a warm smile.

"Nah it's ok, Mrs. Santiago. I'll take my usual drink – a hazelnut coffee," Riza said. "I'll be at my usual spot again. This book is really good, I have to finish it today before the hunting season starts and father takes me out on camping trips again."

"Well, ok then. Make yourself at home, I'll bring you your order in five minutes."

"So that's… $2.25 correct? Hm… I don't have any spare change, just a $5.00. Guess I'll just break that up and use the coins later. Oh well, doesn't really matter," Riza took out a crisp bill from her wallet and held it out for Mrs. Santiago.

"So anyway, this is going to be the last time I'm going to see you for two months?" Mrs. Santiago said. She made no move to grab the bill.

"Yep. After this, school ends and father takes me out to the country side. This is supposedly a new hunting ground that his friend discovered, and it's like… ten miles north of Dublith, some city in the southern parts of Amestris. It's pretty far away from here, and we're going to be gone a pretty long time too. So yea, you won't be seeing me for the next two months. Don't worry, I'll be back for more coffee when I get back!" Riza smiled.

"Well in that case, this one's on me. It'll be a farewell present," Mrs. Santiago said, taking the bill and placing it snugly in Riza's palm.

"Thank you then. I'll enjoy this coffee even more today." Riza turned and headed to her spot in the café. Sitting down in the armchair, she shuffled until she was comfortable, and then proceeded to take a look out the window. Her position allowed her to see everything that was going on outside the café, and today was just the usual, except there were less people on the streets. It just happened to be one of the gloomier days. The sky was concealed by layers of thick, grey clouds, and a storm was brewing. Riza was suddenly glad that she brought with her an umbrella.

Looking away, she set her book down onto the small tray table beside the armchair, and started tying her hair up. It was one of those things that she did automatically every single time she did anything at all. Riza hated having her hair down – it affected her field of vision and often got in the way. Because of that, she had never grown bangs, despite her mother's disapproval. She remembers the constant lectures from her mother: "Darling! Just grow bangs for crying out loud! Everyone's growing bangs! Look around you!" Yes, of course, everyone had bangs back then, in all unique styles and such, but she just wasn't the type for them.

The ponytail was tied back. The seat was comfortable. Riza was ready to finish her novel. Reaching for the book, she leaned back and felt for the bookmark. Opening the book, she took one last look at the grey skies and started reading.

Page 281, page 282, page 283, Riza read on and on. Time slipped as she engrossed herself into the novel. Before long, page 388 came and went, and Riza put her book down. The last chapter she was going to save for tonight and besides, it was already late in the afternoon anyway. She needed to get home to pack up for her trip tomorrow. The hazelnut coffee had been finished long ago, and the cup was sitting there, with a small lipstick mark on the side. It was the usual routine – Riza didn't like anyone approaching her while she was reading, so she always offered to take the cup in herself and spare the waiters some trouble.

Riza put her novel down onto the tray table again, and stood up to stretch, all while looking outside. By now, rain was splattering against the windows, and the sky was painted a bleak grey. Frowning, she took her umbrella from her purse and replaced it instead with her book. Grabbing everything and checking for any belongings, she took her coffee mug and went back to the cashier. After bidding farewell to Mrs. Santiago, Riza stepped out of the café and began her walk home.

Riza was filled with excitement as she walked home. Many thoughts distracted her from concentrating on her walk back home, and she constantly found herself stepping into puddles and only realizing it after her feet were completely soaked through. Still her mind drifted off to the plans made for her summer. 'Oh boy, I can't wait till I finish the rest of the novel. I really should've just read the rest of it back at the café… too bad now, can't do anything about it I suppose. Let's see… what do I need to pack… father has all the guns, so I don't need to worry about that… oh right, can't forget about my toothbrush and toothpaste. I seriously hope this new place has up-to-date facilities…'

On and on she walked, on and on she thought repeatedly about her trip, in such a happy mood that she failed to notice the lack of people on the streets. It wasn't until she was four streets away from home that she noticed the stillness. She stopped in the middle of the road, looking both ways, trying to spot someone. The road was deserted.

"Holy crap what the hell is going on?" Riza said aloud. Nobody was there to hear her; nobody was there to answer her. Her inattentiveness before had already succeeded in getting her completely soaked, and so she put her umbrella away to have both hands free. Quickly she ran around the neighbourhood, looking for someone who could answer her questions. Every single street was deserted, and all she was getting were the sounds of rain splattering on the rooftops.

"What are you doing here!" A voice suddenly rang out behind Riza. Startled, she whirled around to see a man in a uniform. He was someone from the army, belonging in the military. He too was completely soaked through, though he showed no fear in his eyes, unlike her.

"What are you doing here?" the man demanded again. Riza approached him, and saw that he was not a man, but a young person just like herself.

'Must be a new recruit or something, he doesn't look like he's even properly trained…' Riza thought. Nonetheless she gave him a reply. "Actually, I was just walking home when I realized that this neighbourhood, where I live in, is completely deserted? Mind telling me what's going on?"

The man grunted in exasperation. "Have you not heard the announcements that were broadcasted today? There is a serial murderer in the area, and this whole place has been evacuated of people! Your family is probably already waiting for you in some shelter, or at some relatives' place!"

"Wait… but my parents would never go somewhere without telling me! They knew I was at the café! They would've gone to fetch me! I have to go home and see if they're there! What if the serial murderer… what if… what if…" Riza trailed off. She was suddenly afraid, and the rain suddenly seemed icily cold. Shivering, she turned from the soldier and began running in the direction of her home.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Don't go there! It's dangerous!" the soldier ran after her. Riza paid him no heed, and instead increased her pace. He didn't stop calling after her until he caught up and grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" Riza cried, struggling to free herself from his clutch. The soldier kept his grip. She noticed, on the other hand, that he had a glove on with an alchemy circle on it. "You're… you're… a National State Alchemist?"

"Yes I am, so I suggest you listen to me before I arrest you for disobeying the people of authority, especially when all they're trying to do is to help you out," he said. "At least… let me come with you so you won't be in danger of any kind. And don't run, my senses are at best when it's a sunny day and it's quiet. The rain isn't doing us any good."

"…Fine then. If they're not home, then I'll go to your shelters or whatever, and then try to find them there. Who are you anyway?" The alchemist freed Riza's arm, and they started walking, with him in front and Riza guiding.

"I'm just what you called me, a National State Alchemist. The newest one around too, I just got my job a month ago. The name's Roy Mustang, I'm the Flame Alchemist. May I ask you for your name?"

"I'm Riza Hawkeye. Now, could be please pick up speed here? First, I'm worried about my family, and secondly, I'm freezing to death!" She cried. Without waiting for a reply, she hastened the pace, and began sprinting.

Roy said nothing, and instead followed quietly behind her, keeping a lookout. The first impression he had received from the girl was neither good nor bad – she was just another one of those really popular kids who was good at just about anything, including persuasion. A strong figure that would lead many and would allow herself to be led by a stronger authority, she would remain loyal no matter what. 'What a good subordinate she would be,' he thought.

"Okay, we're here. Let me just go up and try to find them. If not, I'll rush back down and you can continue doing your job or whatever." Once again, Riza started off without waiting for a response. Once again, Roy gave no response and silently followed after her. Riza lived in an apartment, and she was on the second floor. Naturally, it didn't take her very long to reach the door, and instead it was her furious fumbling for her keys which frustrated her more. While she was looking for the key with her right hand, her left hand went unconsciously to untie her hair, something she did every single time she got home.

"Ugh where is the stupid key?" Riza searched desperately in her purse, trying to find the small silver piece of metal which separated her from her home. At last her hand clutched onto the key and she immediately proceeded to opening the door. Stepping in, she saw nobody in the living room. Roy followed quietly.

"Mother? Father? Where are you?" Riza called, running room to room searching for any trace of them. Before long, every single room had been searched except for the master bedroom, which was always kept locked. Again she rummaged through her bag for a different set of keys to grant her access. To keep a respectful distance, Roy decided not to enter the room, and instead paced around the living room viewing the different photos of the Hawkeye family that were framed and hung on the walls. When Riza finally got the door open, she stepped in and saw blood and two still figures piled up on the king-sized bed.

"Holy shit no! Mother! Father! Nooo!" Riza ran in, tears already flowing readily from her golden eyes. She stood just beside the bed, dumbstruck. Staring at the corpses of her parents, her eyes flashed and the gold left, replaced by a reddish amber colour. All the strength that flowed within her stopped, and her legs buckled beneath her. Her hands covering her crying face, Riza dropped to the floor, aghast, silent, and frozen in place.

Meanwhile, Roy, upon hearing Riza scream, rushed into the room after her. His glove was ready for any surprise assault, and he ran to Riza's side immediately, prepared to defend her with his life. At this point Roy felt strange – true, it was his job to protect the innocent civilians of Amestris, and he _did_ vow to become Führer, but it was never part of his reflexes to stand in front of someone and defend them with his life. He brushed his thoughts away and concentrated on the surroundings.

The room stayed silent. The only sound heard was the splattering of the rain on the window on the other side of the bed. Roy noticed a suitcase lying on the other side of the bed too. 'This family was going on a trip soon, and this was when tragedy decided to strike. So I guess God really doesn't exist, otherwise he would've prevented this from happening,' Roy thought. For a second, he thought he saw movement on the other side of the bed in the dark room, but it was so silent in this room that he dismissed any thoughts.

"Come on Riza, I have to get you to a safe place before the murderer finds us here," Roy bent down to warn her quietly. Riza paid him no heed and continued to weep in sorrow. He placed his hand on her head and stroked her hair.

"There's…there's nothing you can do about it now. Your parents would want you to be safe instead of risking your life to cry over them. I promise I'll help you out, okay? Now please, listen to me. We've got to get out of this place." Roy stopped stroking her hair. Instead he started to lightly tug at her sleeve. "Come on."

Grudgingly, Riza began to arise from her spot. Grave stricken, she had not the energy to do anything else but to follow Roy's soft request. Here she was, listening to the words of a complete stranger when her life has just fallen apart. She lost her purpose in life. The grand plans she had made for the future, the dreams already achieved with the support of her family, everything, just everything, has fallen apart right before her eyes.

As much as she struggled to stop crying, the tears refused to stay back. Her blurry vision and the trauma she was experiencing made her unsure of her surroundings. Roy let go of her arm. Two seconds later he shoved her head down again, making her land almost face first. She was about to open her mouth to protest when Roy crouched down next to her, panting heavily. Her mourning was now mixed with confusion. The confusion was cleared when she heard gunfire.

"Shit, the guy was supposed to be unarmed! Just how the hell did he get his hands on a shotgun?" Roy muttered. Riza knew better than to say something. She kept her mouth shut, and kept her head down. "Say down Riza. I'll handle the situation here. If anything happens to me, just run and get the hell out of here. Scream as loud as you can and hope that some other stray soldier catches sight of you, okay?" Roy ordered. Riza nodded numbly.

The next few minutes seemed to pass by slowly. The serial murderer didn't seem to feel the need to move in on his victims, and Roy was desperately trying to think of a plan to make it safe for him and Riza while capturing the man. Drawing transmutation circles on the ground to summon a cage would be useless – the man was armed. The light of the alchemy alone would alert the murderer anyway. Finally he decided to directly attack the man with the best shot of his flames.

Meanwhile, Riza was coming back to her senses. Everything that happened in the past ten minutes dawned on her, and she was beginning to accept the truth. She had to stay alive through this crap in order to have time to mourn over the death of her parents later. She was unaware of Roy's plans, but she also realized that the murderer got his hands on the shotguns that her father had in his suitcase. She was also aware that she had a handgun of her own back in her purse. It had been to protect her from the dangers that lurked around in the city, be it random chimeras that broke away from laboratories, pedophiles at night, or in this case, a serial murderer that just shattered her family.

When Roy boldly stood up to face their enemy, Riza also realized that the Flame Alchemist couldn't do anything much with his gloves if they were completely soaked through. Even if he didn't stroke her hair just moments ago, they were still considerably wet from the walk to the apartment building. The gun he had was probably useless too – it didn't look like it was loaded with bullets the last time she saw it. She reached for her purse and found her trusty handgun

Riza immediately stood up, her eyes already searching for the murderer. He was nowhere to be found.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing? Get down, NOW!" Roy said.

"Your gloves don't work if they're wet! Not only that, but your gun isn't even loaded!" Riza muttered quietly, hoping the murderer wouldn't hear her words. Her worst fear came true. At this very moment, the murderer stood up from the shelter of her mother's drawers and took aim. Riza's senses told her the bullet was going for Roy. Her reflexes allowed her to push him to the ground. She took the hit instead. Crimson blood started pouring from her shoulder. Impacted from the shot, she staggered back.

Recovering quickly, as the murderer reloaded the shotgun, Riza took aim. Firing, she hit the man in his chest. Just a split second after, the man fired again. He missed all the vital spots on her, but the bullet tore a deep gash across her forehead. The murderer then coughed up blood and dropped down, unconscious.

Riza's head was spinning wildly. Her eyes were losing focus, and her vision was badly blurred. Roy ran to her side and was picking her up, and she was going to tell him to leave her to die, but she couldn't muster the energy needed. This whole time he had been screaming her name, but she could no longer hear his voice. Despite all, she smiled, knowing that she had saved the Flame Alchemist from his death. She smiled, thinking that she could join her parents now after killing their murderer. Her last tear rolled down her cheek as her eyes closed. The last thing she saw was the deep, black eyes that Roy had. Then everything was suddenly black.

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She smelled something awful. Memories of numerous doctor visits came rushing back to her. Riza recognized the odour – the revolting smell of alcohol. She had always hated clinics and hospitals – too many dead or sick people. Was she one of them? Was she another patient who could not be saved? She recalled shooting the man just as he pulled the trigger too, but what happened after that? Yes, the paramedics must be trying to revive her with everything they've got.

Riza winced as she felt the wound on her left shoulder. Yes, she must've been shot in some major artery and now she's just bleeding her way to death. She was going to meet her parents in some other place. God didn't exist, and neither does heaven or hell, so where would she go? It didn't matter to her, she was going to see them again, and that's all that matters right now.

She tried opening her eyes, but the blinding light made her shut them almost immediately. She didn't have her eyes focused long enough to see her surroundings, except that it was all white. So maybe she was dying, and now she's slowly leaving. Maybe there was a God and a heaven, and she was seeing the beginning of it. Riza wondered if heaven was white and pure.

"Riza? Riza! Answer me! Come on, I just saw your eyelids flutter and your eyebrows twitch! Come on! Wake up!" A voice suddenly hurt her ears. 'Must be a doctor,' she thought. 'Trying to keep me in this world so he doesn't end up with another failed-to-save patient. Too bad I'm going to disappoint him.'

"Riza! Riza!" The voice was even louder now. Riza was on the verge of groaning. She wanted to get the dying business over with and meet her parents, wherever they were. The voice didn't stop repeating her name. Ten seconds later she realized she knew this voice. The last man she saw before her eyes closed for the last time at her home. Her home, where her dreams started and ended. Her home, where her life started and her parents' lives ended. Her home, where she last saw those deep, black eyes.

Attempting to open her eyes again, Riza found it easier this time around since she was adjusting to the lights. The deep, black eyes became the first object that her pupils focused themselves to. Roy became the first person she saw after her traumatic experience. 'So either Roy is a doctor as well and he's trying to save me, or I'm already saved and I've been lying here sleeping,' Riza thought, her senses coming back to her. 'I'm not dead after all… And I'm still in one piece too. So I suppose I did shoot the guy down. He didn't get to kill me more after that. Father was right – I am a good sniper.'

Roy saw Riza's eyes open slowly. The worry that had been written all over his face before was washed away and replaced by a look of relief. "Did you know how long you were out for?" Looking at Riza's blank face, he continued, "A whole week! You were just lying there in your coma for a week! Why'd you go shove me away back then? I'm the soldier you know!" His loud voice surprised her. She dove under the covers, happy to know that her reflexes hadn't failed her. Roy realized his mistake and softened his tone.

"Look… I'm sorry I did this to you… I… I just don't know what I can say… I mean… I was supposed to protect you, and look what I did instead… nothing happened to me, but you were so close to dying…"

"Ugh… how did I even end up here…" Riza's head throbbed.

"You pushed me over and took on that guy yourself, you know. After that you just dropped to the ground with blood all over you. I didn't know what else to do but to carry you to the nearest military camp set up in your area. The people sent you to the military hospital. The bullet was taken out of your shoulder, by the way. Your wounds are okay, but you got a fever from the rain and everything and it was dangerous. I don't know, I have no idea how the human body works. Apparently it was really precarious for a patient who just went through a major surgery to have a fever, so they kept you here in the Intensive Care Unit. And you didn't wake up for so long as well… the doctors were afraid they couldn't save you… but you just woke up and proved them wrong, so it's all okay now!"

"What's okay? Nothing's okay! I've lost everything! You might as well have left me there to die! What else was there for me? My parents are killed. I don't have anymore family. Friends? These people just like to stick around the popular people. I have no boyfriend, there's nobody left in this world that would care about me!" Riza fumed, jumping out from under the covers.

Struggling to sit up, she winced at her shoulder wound. She reached up to rub her temples to sooth her throbbing head, and realized it was bandaged. Then she remembered the deep gash on her forehead. That caused the throbbing, she then noticed. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"So there. I'm scarred for life as well. This is just great. There's nothing left in the world for me. My dreams have been shattered. I don't have a purpose in life anymore."

"There must be people who still care for you! Why the long face? Come on, if you say the world has turned against you, well, I'm still here by your side, am I not?" Roy said. A hint of pink appeared on his cheeks. 'Why the hell did I just say that? I don't even know this girl!'

"Look… please don't get me wrong, but I just didn't think you had enough time to load your gun back there without getting killed. You have a future. I don't. I can die, you can't. You probably have friends and family waiting for you. You still have dreams. You can ascend in the military and be successful…" Riza trailed off. The first tear fell.

"Please. If all else fails… well, you can always join the military. I can always do with a trusty colleague like you. You know what my dream is? I want to become Führer. I can't do that unless I have great subordinates who would be with me through everything. If you can't find a path in life, you can always join me and we can share the same dreams! It would do me great to have someone protecting me wherever I go," Roy tried to sound cheerful. 'Just what the hell am I doing? I suppose giving her some hope in life for now is good. She is good with guns though. It wouldn't do any bad if I get her on my team in the future.'

Riza stopped crying. She stayed silent after that. Nothing Roy said or did resulted in any change in her expression. He continued to visit her every single day for another week, and when she was discharged from the hospital, she didn't return home. Instead family friends were arranged to help give Riza's parents a proper funeral. Mrs. Santiago had been a close family friend for many years. By the time Riza was discharged from the hospital, Mrs. Santiago had already known that Riza didn't want to return to the old apartment and had already prepared for another apartment.

Riza entered her new apartment without comment. For a month she closed herself off from the rest of the world, opening the door only to see Mrs. Santiago bring her daily necessities and other little treats. Roy occasionally visited her on his days off, though she often stayed detached despite her feelings for him.

Riza enrolled into a different school, and never touched anything of her past anymore. What happened to her parents' apartment, she'll never know. What happened to her friends at school, she'll never find out. What happened to the family business, she'll never give it another thought.

Upon finishing school, she enlisted in the army and requested to be under Roy Mustang's squad. She cut away her long, stunning hair and only saved enough to cover up her right forehead. She never wore tank tops anymore. She stopped visiting Mrs. Santiago's café, she stopped drinking hazelnut coffee. Tea, something she had never favoured, became her sole beverage. Leaving the past, Riza stepped into her future, with one sole purpose in life.

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AN: Yes I know this was a very predictable story, but whatcha gonna do about it. I'm obsessed with hair for anime characters, and the way Riza keeps putting her hair up now during work and how she has that bit of hair on the left side of her forehead… well what can I say, it inspired me. Many sentence fragments here and there, I know. I apologize for my bad grammar. Anyway, please review and send in some feedback! Constructive criticism always welcomed! 


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